Address of the President, Sir Archibald Geikie, K.C.B., at the Anniversary Meeting on November 30,...

Address of the President, Sir Archibald Geikie, K.C.B., at the Anniversary Meeting onNovember 30, 1909Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Containing Papers of aBiological Character, Vol. 82, No. 554 (Feb. 3, 1910), pp. 151-168Published by: The Royal SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/80409 .

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Anniversary Address by Sir A. Geikie.

The physiological activity of these drugs as compared with that of quinine, to which we have paid special attention, is as follows:-

Quinine ................................... 100 Stovaine ................................... 40

Methyl stovaine ........................... 40 Cocaine ................................... 40

Address of the President, Sir Archibald Geikie, K. C.B., at

the Anniversary Meeting on November 30, 1909.

Since our last Anniversary, death has removed from the Society's member-

ship a number of distinguished names. The deceased Fellows are:-

George Gore, died December 23, 1908. Prof. Harry Govier Seeley, died January 8, 1909. Francis Elgar, died January 16, 1909. Wilfrid H. Hudleston, died January 29, 1909. Sir George King, died February 12, 1909. Prof. David James Hamilton, died February 19, 1909. Dr. Arthur Gamgee, died March 29, 1909. Dr. Gerald Francis Yeo, died May 1, 1909. Bindon Blood Stoney, died May 5, 1909. Prof. Daniel John Cunningham, died June 23, 1909. Prof. Thomas William Bridge, died June 30, 1909.

The Marquis of Ripon, died July 9, 1909. Rev. William Henry Dallinger, died November 7, 1909. Dr. William James Russell, died November 14, 1909.

On the Foreign List we have to record with regret the decease of five men

of wide reputation:- Prof. Albert Gaudry, died November 29, 1908.

Prof. Julius Thomsen, died February 13, 1909.

Dr. Georg von Neumayer, died May 24, 1909.

Prof. Simon Newcomb, died July 11, 1909.

Dr. Anton Dohrn, died September 26, 1909.

VOL. LXXXII.-B . o

151




In addition to the heavy losses which French science has had to deplore within the last two or three years, another has arisen from the decease of Albert Gaudry, who for more than half a century was one of tile leaders of

paleontological science, not in France alone, but in every country where the

history of life upon the globe is studied. By his original investigations at

Pikermi, he added a new and vivid chapter to the records of vertebrate

existence, while by his volumes on the genetic connections of the animal

world, as shown by fossil organic remains, he gave powerful support to the

reception of the doctrines of evolution. Great as was his scientific genius, it was not more impressive than the charm of his personal character. Those who were privileged to know him will long mourn an irreparable blank in their circle of friendship.

Astronomical science has lost one of its most notable cultivators, and the United States have been deprived of their most famous man of science by the death of Simon Newcomb. The successive stages in his interesting career have been sketched by himself in his pleasant autobiography. On his

frequent visits to this country he never failed to appear at the meetings of the Royal Society, where he was always welcomed. The value of his scientific work was recognised by the Society as far back as 1877, when he was elected a Foreign Member, so that at the time of his death his name stood at the head of our list in point of seniority. In 1890 our highest distinction, the Copley medal, was awarded to him.

The zoological circle of sciences has been deprived of one of its most esteemed Members by the death of Anton Dohrn. The establishment of the

great marine biological station at Naples, which he planned and carried out, is one of the most important contributions ever made to the practical development of biological studies, and has given its gifted and enthusiastic founder a high and enduring place in the history of science.

In the modern development of oceanic hydrography no name deserves more honourable mention than that of Georg von Neumayer. His long and enthusiastic devotion to this branch of science and the admirable work done under his direction in the Deutsche Seewarte at Hamburg entitle him to

lasting remembrance.

By the death of Julius Thomsen, Denmark has lost one of her most

distinguished men of science. At the advanced age of eighty-three he has passed away, leaving an extensive record of experimental researches which had a fundamental part in the foundation of the science of thermo-

chemistry. Our losses on the Home List amount to fourteen. The late Marquess of

Ripon, who became a Fellow of the Society in 1860, filled with distinction

[Nov. 30, 152



1909.] Anniversary Address by Sir A. Geikie.

many high offices of State. It is on the side of the biological sciences that the losses have chiefly fallen. Anatomy, human and comparative, has not for

many years sustained a more grievous blow than that which has come from the untimely death of Daniel John Cunningham. Brilliant as an investigator, luminous as an expositor, and with a singularly attractive personality, he held with distinction for some twenty years the Chair of Anatomy in Trinity College, Dublin. Six years ago he was chosen to succeed Sir William Turner at Edinburgh, where it was fondly believed that he would long continue to

uphold and extend the reputation of the famous anatomical school of that

University. But he has been cut down in his prime, leaving us the memory of a blameless and genial life, and the example of an untiring devotion crowned with conspicuous success in every branch of investigation, teaching, and administration, to which he applied his remarkable powers.

In David James Hamilton we have lost one of the most experienced pathologists in this country, whose researches on various diseases incident to man and on some of the obscure ailments of sheep have been of lasting benefit. He was elected into the Royal Society only last year. We sincerely regret that he should have been so soon removed from our midst.

Within the last few weeks the death of the Rev. W. H. Dallinger has

deprived the Society of one who was widely known and much respected for his microscopic researches into the history of the minuter forms of animal life.

The number of geological Fellows of the Society has been reduced by the loss of two well-known and accomplished men. Wilfrid Hudleston Hudleston

belonged to that small but important class, who having no professional ties and

possessed of a competence, are enabled to devote themselves to the cultivation of science from pure love and enthusiasm. To his critical skill English

geology and pal-eontology stand under deep obligations. His contributions to our knowledge of the invertebrate fauna of the Jurassic rocks, as well as

many thoughtful essays on a wide range of geological and geograplical subjects, are valuable additions to scientific literature.

Harry Govier Seeley, trained under Sedgwick at Cambridge, early took up the study of fossil reptiles, which became the main pursuit of his life. His

published memoirs on these extinct types gave him a wide reputation, and remain as a lasting memorial of his patient research, critical insight, and

suggestive generalisations. The band of physiologists in our ranks has been thinned by the decease of

two of its meinbers. We shall long regret the disappearance of the brilliant, enthusiastic, widely accomplished, and kindly Arthur Gamngee. Those of us who knew Gerald Francis Yeo before he sought the repose of his country

o 2

153



Anniversary Address by Sir A. Geikcie.

home in Devonshire, will cherish the remembrance of his scientific accom-

plishments, his social charm, and his characteristic Irish humour. Thomas William Bridge, trained in the Cambridge school of zoologists,

was one of the oldest and most respected professors in the Mason College and more recently in the University of Birmingham. His researches on the

anatomy of fishes have given him an honoured place among the men who drew their inspiration from Frank Balfour and Alfred Newton.

To systematic botany, and more especially to the botany of India, the late Sir George King rendered important service. His death, at the age of

sixty-nine, has removed from our ranks one of the most modest and meritorious of retired Indian officials.

Two of our representatives of engineering science have passed away since this time last year. In Francis Elgar we mourn the loss of one of the most distinguished naval architects of his generation. Bindon Blood Stoney has left many enduring monuments of his skill and resource as a civil

engineer in harbour works, bridges, and other constructions over the face of Ireland, while his treatise on the Theory of Stresses has long held high rank in engineering literature.

George Gore, who died at the ripe age of eighty-three, will be remembered for the number and value of his contributions to chemistry and electro-metallurgy. His memory will also be kept alive in the Royal Society by a bequest which he has left to us. Only a few days ago our losses for the year have been increased by the death of the able chemist, William James Russell, who has recently been a frequent contributor to our 'Proceedings,' and whose

kindly face for more than thirty years has been familiar at our meetings.

In considering the special subject to which this Address should be devoted, I have been led to select one on which I believe lmuch misapprehension to exist, not only in the world outside these walls, but even among our own Fellows. I have often been impressed by the exceedingly imperfect or erroneous conception generally entertained as to the work in which the Royal Society is engaged. We are known to hold weekly meetings for the reading and discussion of scientific papers, and to publish these papers in the long- series of volumes wherein the record of our activity is preserved. But it is not commonly known that these meetings and the publications to which

they give rise, though they constitute the most important part of the labours of the Society, so far as relates to the progress of discovery, form only a portion of a programme which is every year becoming fuller and

demanding more time, thought, and funds for its accomplishment. I have therefore judged that it might serve a useful purpose were I on this

154 [Nov. 30,




occasion to offer a brief outline of the various directions in which the

energies of the Society are employed, in the hope that when some of the difficulties which confront us become more widely known, means may be found for adequately coping with them.

Ever since its foundation nearly two centuries and a half ago, the main

occupation of the Royal Society has been the holding of meetings for the

reading and discussion of contributions to natural knowledge, and the

publication of these papers, or abstracts of them, in our printed records. The 'Philosophical Transactions,' dating back to the Society's infancy, form a series of volumes of which we may well be proud, for it is a chronicle not merely of the doings of the Society, but of the onward march of science in every branch of its domain. In the course of time, however, the conditions in which the progress of investigation and discovery advances have greatly changed. When the Royal Society was founded it was the

only learned body in this country specially devoted to the prosecution of scientific enquiry, and such it continued to be for generations. But the

rapid growth of science during the last century has shown that no single Society can now serve to supply the needs of the whole vast field of

investigation in every department of nature. Most of these departments, one after the other, have had special societies created for their exclusive

cultivation, each of which records the progress of research in its own

territory. At first the Royal Society, long accustomed to reign with

undisputed sway over the whole realm of natural knowledge, was disposed to look with disfavour on this multiplication of separate and independent institutions. But that time has long since passed away. Subdivision is now admitted to be necessary and, if properly directed, even desirable. Hence this Society, like a proud parent, now rejoices in the growth and

energy of the increasing family which has grown up around her, while she in turn is regarded with respect and esteem by the various members of that family, among whom there is a general desire to be enrolled in her ranks.

Nevertheless it is impossible not to perceive that the rise of all these

younger societies has materially affected the position of the Royal Society in

regard to the general advance of modern science. This society is no longer the general depository of the records of that progress in all its branches. So

completely, for instance, do the Geological and Chemical Societies provide for the requirements of their respective fields of investigation, that con- munications from these fields come now comparatively seldom before us. If one desires to follow the modern growth of geology or chemistry, one must turn for its record to the publications not of the Royal Society, but of

1909.] 155



Anniversary Address by Sir A. Geilkie.

the two learned bodies that are specially devoted to the cultivation of these sciences. Nor can we see any reason why this process of devolution should not continue in the future. Hence if the system of reading and publishing papers which has been in use here for so many generations is to be

perpetuated without modification, there may come a day when every great department of natural knowledge will be provided with its own special society, and then we may ask in anticipation, what will be left for the

meetings of the Royal Society. For myself I do not believe that such a time of impoverishment ever will befall us. We cannot, and would not if we could, do anything to prevent the foundation of fresh societies for sciences that have not yet been provided with them. But we may so adjust our programme as to bring it into harmony with modern conditions, and thus to inaintain and extend the prestige and usefulness of the Royal Society. The danger to which I have referred, however, is by no means imaginary, and it should be faced before it has time to become serious.

Notwithstanding the changes brought about by the multiplication of scientific societies during the last hundred years, the reading of papers and the printing and publication of them still remains the most prominent function of our Society. The ' Philosophical Transactions ' and ' Proceedings ' continue to appear, and to maintain their high reputation. Even although their range of subjects has been lessened by the appearance of the many other scientific serials now published, they still form one of the most outstanding chronicles of the progress of research. With the view of increasing their usefulness, the

Society some years ago departed from the time-honoured practice of dealing with natural knowledge as one great subject, and now groups its papers in two separate series, one devoted to Physical (A) and the other to Biological (B) questions. It is undoubtedly a considerable convenience to have the memoirs in each of those two great divisions gathered together into a separate series of volumes. More recently the practice has grown up of introducing a similar

principle in the grouping of papers to be read at the weekly meetings of the

Society. It was hoped that by taking the physical papers on one day and the biological communications on another a better attendance could be secured, especially of the representatives of each division. I cannot say that this

arrangement has been attended with the success which was anticipated. It has, however, its humorous side, as may be seen on most Thursday afternoons. The preliminary half hour of general intercourse which is aflorded in the tea- room undoubtedly forms one of the most useful and most generally appreciated features in the programme of the Society's functions. It provides convenient opportunities for the cultivation of personal relations between the workers in all branches of research, and much valuable service is undoubtedly

[Nov.. 30, 156




done by the conversation and informal friendly discussions which then take

place. But when, at the end of the brief half hour, the ordinary weekly meeting of the Society opens in the adjoining room, a singular contrast is

presented between the two companies. The tea-room continues to be a scene of animated talk long after the bell has announced the commencement of the meeting. If the papers to be read are biological, some of the biologists will be found to adjourn with the President and officers into the meeting room to listen to the reading of these papers. But the physicists remain for the most part outside. In like manner, on a day set apart for physical questions, t;he biologists will show a similar predilection for prolonging the amenities of the tea-table instead of hearing the papers read. In either

case, each time that the door between the two rooms is opened the loud hum of conversation bursts into the meeting with a volume which for a few moments may make the speaker inaudible.

That there are some practical advantages in this separation of subjects cannot be gainsaid, and I would not for a moment seek to undervalue them. But I confess I am often led to consider this subject with feelings of regret and misgiving, and to ask myself whether the conveniences afforded by the subdivision are not more than compensated by the disadvantages that

accompany them. Undoubtedly, the constantly quickening pace of the march of science makes it every year increasingly difficult for those whose lives are devoted to the active and engrossing prosecution of research in one

special department of enquiry to keep in touch even with the broader features of the advance that is being made in other departments. We cannot be surprised that a man whose whole energies are absorbed in one line of study should neither care to listen to, nor to burden his library shelves with, papers in other lines, full of technicalities which he has had no time to master, and written therefore in a language which to him is more or less unintelligible. In this way the workers in widely separated fields of enquiry tend to be more and more completely isolated from each other.

But surely such isolation is a defect in our organisation which deserves serious attention. It cannot be for the general good of scientific progress that the eyes of an investigator should seldom or never be lifted from his own field of work, nor his ears be open to the reports of the advances made in other fields that lie outside of his immediate interests. The wider his outlook, the greater must obviously be his capacity for judging of the general bearings of discovery in his own domain on other departments of research, and the broader and more intelligent will be his sympathies with the whole range of activity on which the continued march of natural knowledge depends.

1-909.] 157




The Royal Society is still the one great institution in this country which draws its members from the cultivators of every branch of science, and which freely opens its publications to receive their communications of observation and discovery. It should thus be specially fitted to bring the workers on the two sides of science, physical and biological, into touch with each other. It has recognised and in various ways endeavoured to discharge its duty in this respect. In its Croonian and Bakerian Lectures it has given to the world many masterly expositions of the progress of research in different branches of enquiry. It has likewise provided, by one of its standing orders, for occasional meetings devoted to the discussion of papers of general interest specially prepared for the purpose. Nevertheless, it may be urged that some more frequent and effective procedure might still be devised to lessen the evils of isolation and to make the work that is in progress in one section of the scientific domain more comprehensible in the others. It is futile to find fault with the technicalities of a science. These are its symbols and language with which its students cannot dispense. But without

trying to provide for all the needs of the "man in the street," it is often

possible to give the gist of an observation or a discovery in simple words that will convey a definite conception of what has been observed or discovered. And thus a subject which, when expounded in brief technical phraseology, repels men of another science, may yet be made interesting and suggestive to these same men.

It may be worthy of consideration whether in those branches of science which, having special societies of their own, are seldom represented by papers at our meetings or in our publications, some of their cultivators might not be invited from time to time to bring before the Society reports of recent advances in their different fields of research. Would it not be

practicable, for example, to find among the many distinguished chemists in our ranks a few who would be willing to present occasionally at our meetings, in language intelligible to a general audience of scientific men, aln outline of the latest progress, present condition, and future problems of some section of their great science ?

But above all there is an aspect of scientific thought, which although fully recognised by the early fathers of the Royal Society, is too apt to be overlooked amidst the engrossing pressure of modern research. I allude to the philosophy of science. At intervals in the progress of scientific

enquiry it is desirable to look at the subject from the philosophical side, and to seek for a correlation and synthesis of the various processes of nature which discovery has revealed. The mental vision required for this quest is not given to more than a few gifted minds. But we can count among

158 [Nov. 30,



1909.] Anniversary Address by Sir A. Geikie. 159

the number of our Fellows more than one admirably qualified by wide

knowledge and rare powers of generalisation to present a connected view of the broader bearings of discovery in the scientific domain in which each is a master. Memoirs of this type will, I trust, continue to be laid before us, perhaps at more frequent intervals, thus upholding the renown of our 'Philosophical Transactions' and sustaining the prestige of the Society.

Before passing from the subject of our publications, there is one aspect of them to which I should like to refer-the cost of their production. This item of our expenditure has increased so much in recent years as sometimes to raise serious doubts whether we shall continue to be able to defray it out of our annual income. A large part of the outlay lies in the cost of

the illustrations. There cannot, of course, be any difference of opinion as to the importance and necessity of the adequate illustration of the papers

published by the Society. But while this general admission is made, it may be fittingly qualified by the statement that many authors are somewhat

prone to over-illustrate their papers. Every care is taken by the Officers, the Referees, the Sectional Committees, and the Council as far as possible to

keep this source of expenditure within reasonable bounds, and, as might be

anticipated, their efforts in this matter are not always appreciated by the

authors. Even in the case of the most important memoirs the unenviable

duty is sometimes imposed on the Secretaries of asking the writers to

undertake the painful task of deciding which of the illustrations, whereon

much care :had doubtless been bestowed, could be eliminated with least

detriment to the text, so as to bring the total cost within the limits of the

Society's means. It would obviously be more agreeable to all concerned to

reproduce every figure and plate of a worthy, if expensive, memoir, and to do

so in the most excellent style of modern art. Were it not, however, for

the annual grant of ?1000 voted by Parliament to assist the Society in its

publications, we should not be in a position to deal as liberally as is now

done in the matter of illustration. Yet it should be remembered that the

Royal Society does not appropriate the whole of that grant to its own uses, but considers the claims made upon it by other learned bodies. Until,

therefore, some generous donor shall provide the necessary addition to our

resources, I am afraid that we must continue our present vigilant watch over the expenses of our publications, while securing, it is hoped, that nothing absolutely essential is held back.

Besides the issue of the 'Philosophical Transactions' and 'Proceedings,' the Royal Society has been engaged for more than forty years in the preparation and publication of a 'Catalogue of Scientific Papers' from the




beginning to the end of the nineteenth century. Of this great work twelve volumes have been published, bringing it down to the year 1883. The materials for the remaining seventeen years are now in course of com-

pilation, but so great lias been the increase of scientific serials during the latter portion of last century that the number of entries for these years will probably equal, if it does not exceed, that for the whole period from 1800 to 1883. While the laborious task of preparing this Authors' ctalogue is in progress, under the able direction of Dr. McLeod, the preparation of an Index of Subjects is being simultaneously carried on. One volume of this

Index, devoted to Pure Mathematics, has been issued. A second volune, dealing with Mechanics, will soon be ready for publication, while those for

Physics and Chemistry are far advanced. The whole Index, when completed, will consist of seventeen volumes, grouped according to the scheme of the 'International Catalogue of Scientific Literature.' The supreme importance of such a Catalogue of Scientific Papers and Index of Subjects for all engaged in active scientific life has everywhere been recognised. But the cost of

producing such works has been a severe burden on the resources of the Royal Society, and, indeed, could hardly have been continued, but for the

generous aid afforded by our colleague, Dr. Ludwig Mond, who has taken so keen an interest in the progress of the compilation. The task of carrying on the Catalogue from the beginning of the present century was felt to be

beyond the power of this Society alone. But the project has not been allowed to lapse, for it has now become an international undertaking to which the Governments of various countries contribute. The central office remains in London, while the Royal Society has had to continue its financial

responsibility for the printing contracts. But over and above the preparation and issue of what are more properly

its own serials, the Society from time to time undertakes the charge of other extraneous publications. Such, for instance, at the present time, are the volumes embodying the physical results of the National Antarctic Expedition in the "Discovery" during the years 1901-1904, of which four volumes have been issued, and the last, dealing with the Meteorology, is now in preparation. Valuable Reports drawn up by Fellows in past years have in this way been published by the Society, of which the volumes on Krakatoa, Funafuti, the Ceylon Pearl Fisheries, and the Magnetic Survey of South Africa may be cited as examples.

From what I have now said it will be obvious that had the Royal Society no other duties to discharge save those in connection with the preparation of its publications, it would, like other scientific societies, have work enough on hand fully to occupy its time and absorb its resources. But the perform-

[Nov. 30, 160



Annniversary A ddress by Sir A. Geikic.

aIlc of these duties fills up only part of its progralmme. In tllis respect tlle Society (liffers from otlher learrneld bodies. It possesses a large and diversifie(l field of activities abl(ot wiiclh most even of our Fellows kiiow

little, Iand tlie world outside still less. Our Year Book, ilideed, presents a formlidable list of the public functions whlich liave devolved upon the

l'oyal Society. That list, however, conveys no adequate idea of tlle varied ad11( even exacting claracter of some of its items. Buit over andil above the functions thereill enumerated, otlhers of a less plublic kind mlake large demanlds upon tl tetimIe and thoughlt of many of our Fellows.

In the first instanlce the general business of the Society is arranged by the Presildeit and Officers, so that all lmatters of importance are placed before tlhe Cou1ncil, wliicli considers anlld decides theiii. As far as its liilited numlbers will admlit, the CoIuncil is so choseni as generally to secure tllat armong its mIembers there sliall be one or mIore rel)resentatives of eacll great division of science aIld of all parts of tlle country. But it would lbe wlolly impossible for tle Council to enter into thle nmultifarious (letails of tlhe wide ralnge of lmatters wliicli are un(ler its coltrol. IHence it lias beelt necessary to delegate tlie consideration of tliese details to Committees selecte(l fromii

1among thle Fellows most competent to deal with theim. It miay give soiiie i(lea of tlie extent of workk to be (ldoe ai(d the subdivision of labour tlat lias beeii founld necessary, to state that at preseiit tile Standilng Committees iand Boards exceed thirty in number, , andl tliat, in addition, Special Comniittees are constanttly being appointed for thle consideration of questions tlhat fromi tiime to timie ar1ise. The deliberations of tlhe Commnittees are reported to the Council for its information or guidance.

For many years past the Royal Society has acted as a kinld of board of advice to tle Government of tlle country in nmatters wherein scientific

kliowledge is required. In this informal capacity tlhe Society lias been

requested to undertake tle conduct of miany enquiries in tlhe pulblic interest. It lias beeti likewise entrusted witli tie administration of flunds voted by Parliament for tlie promotiol of investigation. To illustrate tlie character of this side of tile Society's activity, let ine cite somne examples of tle nature of tlhe tasks wliicli have been confid(ed to it.

One of thle most important of all these public functions is that of super- vising the National Physical Laboratory. Tiis great Institution, owing in

large measure to the representations made by distinguistled Fellows of tile Society, was establislied by the State to secure accurate determinations ail( measurements of all kinds. Its ultimlate coiitrol lhas been vested ii the

'President a(nd Council of the Royal Society, who nominate thle Executive Commnittee wliicl is entrusted withl the inmnlediate mnanagement of the

1909.] 161




Laboratory and the determination of the nature of the work to be under- taken. The welfare and efficiency of this national establishment are thus

closely associated with the Royal Society. Another administrative control of public funds placed in our hands is that

of the annual grant of ?4000 voted by Parliament for scientific investigations. This money is sometimes ignorantly supposed to be a subsidy to the Royal Society itself, but our relation to it is entirely that of administration.

Open to everyone who pursues science in this country, it has been instrumental in aiding and encouraging many workers who would otherwise have been unable to commence or to carry on their researches. In order to deal with the numerous claims made upon it, seven Boards have been constituted, each representing one of the great subdivisions of science. On these Bcards upwards of fifty Fellows of the Society serve, selected for their eminence in their respective fields. Many of them are busy professional men; yet, entirely at their own charges, they come, in some cases from long distances in the country, to the meetings of the Boards here, and give much time to the consideration of the claims of the applicants. The average annual number of applications for grants during the last five years has been 107. Of these, the annual average accepted by the Boards during the same period is 85. Recipients of grants are bound to send in reports of their work and of the expenditure of the money voted to them. The average annual number of these reports which have been laid before the Boards during the last five

years is 178. I doubt if the distribution of any other Parliamentary grant is more sedulously supervised than 'this appropriation for scientific investigations. But not only do the several Boards scrutinise the applications, they are

empowered themselves to initiate researches on promising lines of enquiry, and have occasionally availed themselves of this prerogative.

Requests are not infrequently made to the Society by different Government

Departments for advice or co-operation in matters wherein expert scientific knowledge is required. For years past we have had a Tropical Diseases Committee which, in association with the Colonial Office, has been carrying on

investigations into the nature and prophylaxis of some of the maladies incident to the human and animal populations of our colonies and protectorates in warm climates. A Commission despatched by this Committee to Uganda has, for some time, been at work under Sir David Bruce studying the decimating scourge of sleeping sickness, while another Commission under the same Committee is busy in London searching experimentally for some drug that may be effective in the treatment of that terrible disease. A few years ago, at the joint instance of the War Office, Admiralty, and Colonial Office, we despatched a Comnmission to Malta to investigate the peculiar fever

[Nov. 30, 162




which had for so long a time reduced the effective strength of our garrisons and fleets in the Mediterranean. The observers were fortunate in soon

discovering the source of the disease and were able to point out the steps to be taken to cope with it. The result has been that this serious malady has now been almost entirely banished from the hospitals of Malta. At present another Committee of the Society is engaged, at the request of the Home

Office, in studying the disease known as glassworkers' cataract. The India Office likewise applies to us for advice, and we have an " Indian Government

Advisory Committee" and an "Observatories Committee," the duty of which is to consider the reports of various public departments in the great dependency, and to offer suggestions towards the improvement of their scientific operations.

Another sphere of the Royal Society's activity lies in the administration of the various trusts which have been placed in our hands for scientific, educational, and charitable purposes. Of these trusts, one of the most

important and useful is that known as the " Scientific Relief Fund," which was started in 1859 by Mr. J. P. Gassiot, and has been increased by the

subsequent donations of many Fellows, notably Lord Armstrong, Sir William Siemens, and Mr. Bentham, until it now has an invested capital of about ?18,000. The object of this fund is to aid, in an unobtrusive manner, such scientific men or their families as may from time to time require assistance. In the administration of its benefits regard is not confined to our own members, but grants are freely made to applicants from outside whose claims are supported by the President of some recognised scientific

society. One of the most honoured names in the history of the Royal Society is

perpetuated in the "Donation Fund," established by William Hyde Wollaston, to which other benefactors have made additions. The interest of the invest- ments thus provided furnishes the Council with the means of assisting researches and furthering the general purposes of the Society.

The " Gassiot Trust" has enabled us to aid in continuing the magnetical and meteorological observations which have given our observatory at Kew a world-wide reputation. This institution is now incorporated with the National

Physical Laboratory, under conditions securing that the observational work for which it has long been so honourably known shall be maintained

unimpaired. By the "Mackinnon Research Fund" the Society has been enabled to

establish studentships in natural and physical science, including geology, astronomy, and pathology, tenable by British subjects, after the completion of their University training. These appointments, which are renewable,

1909.] 163



Anniversary Address by Sir A. Geilcie.

may, in exceptional cases, be held for three years, and are of great usefulness in encouraging and aiding young men of promise who are starting upon a scientific career.

The " Joule Fund," which is international in character, is intended for the

promotion of research by younger men in the branches of physical science in which Joule's discoveries were fundamental. The " Gunning Fund" was established for the furtherance of knowledge in physics and biology.

During the present year three additional funds have been constituted in accordance with the wishes of three deceased Fellows. By the foundation of the " Sorby Fund" the Royal Society is entrusted with the administration of the interest of a sum of ?15,000 for the purpose of creating and maintaining a professorship or fellowship for scientific research, to be associated primarily with the University of Sheffield. The first appointment to this post was

recently made by a Committee representing the Society and the University. Another well-remembered name will now be perpetuated among the activities of the Royal Society by the " Tyndall Mining Research Fund," consisting of ?1000 which has been given by Mrs. Tyndall, in accordance with her husband's desire, for furthering research in all matters pertaining to mining and the welfare of miners. The "Gore Bequest," already referred to, has

placed in our hands a sum of upwards of ?2400, the interest of which is to be devoted to assist original scientific discovery.

Although the Royal Society administers annually a considerable sum of

money, it will be observed that by far the largest part of the disbursements is ear-marked for various special applications, and cannot be employed for other

objects. So far, indeed, as its general purposes are concerned, the Society cannot be regarded as adequately provided. For nearly two hundred and fifty

years it has continued to hold aloft the torch of science, but the constantly augmenting demands of modern progress make its task increasingly difficult of satisfactory performance. I have referred to the gr'owing cost of our

publications, and there are other parts of our organisation wherein the

development of our work is hampered by the lack of funds. Men of science are seldom rich; it is therefore all the more gratifying to be able to record

examples of the continuous generous liberality of our Fellows. But it is hardly from our own ranks that we can look for any substantial addition to our resources. Perchance in the general community there may yet be found some men who may be led to see that besides the various laudable objects that have hitherto claimed their care, the advancement of science is likewise an important public and educational interest, and that benefactions are not unworthily bestowed in enabling the Royal Society adequately to maintain the great work which it has inherited from the past.

[Nov. 30, 164



1909.1 Anniversary Address by Sir A. Geikie. 165

MEDALLISTS, 1909.

COPLEY MEDAL.

The Copley Medal is this year awarded to Dr. George William Hill, For.Memb.R.S. Now that Simon Newcomb is no longer with us, Dr. Hill

occupies, beyond challenge, the first position in the great subject of Dynamical Astronomy.

His processes are not only marked by extraordinary originality, the result of high mathematical genius, but also in every case his methods and researches are directed towards practical astronomical ends. His supreme work is

probably contained in his researches on the theory of the moon's motion, which has remained the great problem of gravitational astronomy ever since the time of Newton. Here his introduction and development of the principle of disturbed periodic orbits has given an entirely new direction to the science, culminating recently in the Lunar Tables of E. W. Brown, which mark an

epoch in the practical side of the Lunar Theory. This work of Hill has been fruitful in new advances in many directions.

His ideas have given rise, as developed by Poincare and other investigators, to new departments of abstract mathematical analysis, while in the hands of Lord Rayleigh they have shed light on important and difficult problems of

general mathematical physics. His collected works have recently been published by the Carnegie

Institution of Washington in four quarto volumes; the importance of their contents can hardly be over estimated. M. Henri Poincare, in his introduction to these volumes, described Hill as " une des physionomies les plus originales du monde scientifique amiricain."

Astronomy owes to him new theories of the motions of the systems of

Jupiter and Saturn, to which the whole of Vol. III of his works is consecrated.

His shorter papers deal with nearly every problem in the Lunar and

Planetary theories, with mathematical geodesy and other subjects. All his work is characterised by its original points of view combined with practical aims, by maturity of thought and high suggestiveness. It forms an index of the simplicity and aloofness of its author, who has been one of the main ornaments of Astronomical Science for more than a generation.

ROYAL MEDALS.

One of the Royal Medals has been awarded, with the approval of His

Majesty the King, to Prof. Augustus Edward Hough Love, F.R.S., in




recognition of his numerous and important contributions to mathematics, and

especially to mathematical physics. He has written many valuable papers on various branches of hydrodynamics, in particular on the theories of jets, of vortex motion, and of revolving gravitating masses of liquid. He is the author of a work on " Elasticity," now in its second edition, which is highly appreciated at home and abroad, and ranks as the standard treatise on the

subject. In this he has incorporated various valuable researches of his own, which have appeared in the 'Philosophical Transactions' and elsewhere. He has further investigated closely the circumstances of wave-propagation in

air, in elastic solids, and in the electromagnetic medium, and has examined in

particular the phenomena which present themselves at wave-fronts when the motion is discontinuous. More recently he has published remarkable papers on terrestrial physics, including a speculation on the origin of the present distribution of land and water, and an investigation of the precise extent of the inferences which can be drawn as to the internal constitution of the earth from the observed data relating to the heights of ocean tides of long periods, the lunar disturbance of level, and the approximate period of the small move- ments of the Pole over the earth's surface.

His Majesty has likewise approved of the award of the other Royal Medal to Major Ronald Ross, F.R.S.

The name of Major Ross has become widely known on account of the

important investigations which he has carried out on the life-history of the malarial organism and the means of preventing malarial infection. Following up a clue indicated by Manson, he began, in 1895, at Secunderabad, in

India, under circumstances which entailed much difficulty and many delays, an investigation as to whether the malaria parasite, discovered by Laveran,

passes part of its life-history within the body of a biting insect. After more than two years of fruitless experiments Ross discovered a stage of the humanl malaria parasite in the tissues of a mosquito (Anopheles) which had been allowed to feed on the blood of a malarial patient. In 1898 he proceeded to work out in detail the life-history of a malarial parasite found in sparrows and larks in India. He traced the complicated stages in the development of this parasite from its inception into the stomach of a gnat (C/ulexfatigans), which feeds on the blood of these birds, to its passage back into their blood

through the secretion of the poison gland of the insect. At the same time he furnished conclusive experimental proof of the part played by the insect in propagating the infection. These fundamental observations have been confirmed and extended in various directions by other observers, both in the British Empire and elsewhere.

As a practical consequence of the discoveries of Ross and those who have

[Nov. 30, 166




followed in his footsteps, and of his own unceasing exertions and further

investigations during the last few years, scientifically directed measures for the prevention of malaria have been initiated with striking success in many fever-stricken districts all over the world, and particularly within the British Empire. His investigations have also inspired similar work on the

spread, by means of mosquitoes or other biting insects, of other formidable

diseases, with the result that effective measures have been devised for

preventing the spread of these diseases also.

DAVY MEDAL.

The Davy Medal has been awarded to Sir James Dewar, F.R.S. Sir James Dewar has been a pioneer in the study of very low tempera-

tures, their production, applications, and effects. For many years he has worked continuously in this difficult domain, and

his investigations have resulted from time to time in such achievements as the solidification of oxygen, the liquefaction of fluorine, and the liquefaction and solidification of hydrogen. His improvements in technique have been fundamental. By the construction of vessels in which thermal convection is avoided by the presence of a vacuous layer in their walls, he has enormously simplified the retention and manipulation of matter at very low temperatures. His application of the absorbent effect exerted on gaseous materials by charcoal at low temperatures has placed in the hands of chemists and

physicists a most convenient and important method, not only for the production of high vacua, but also for the rapid separation of the constituents of gaseous mixtures. The modifications in the properties of matter at very low

temperatures have been investigated, and remarkable results obtained, including the earliest exact investigations, jointly with Prof. Fleming, on the electric properties of insulators, and of metals and alloys. The determination of the properties (critical points, boiling points, etc.) of

refractory gases at very low temperatures has involved the practical downward extension of absolute thermometry, with the result that

temperatures in the neighbourhood of the absolute zero can be determined

correctly to within a degree. Lastly, recent measurements of the rate of formation of helium from radium salt, specially purified by Sir T. Edward

Thorpe for his recent atomic weight determination, have provided exact molecular data, throwing light on the nature of the spontaneous disintegration of that very remarkable substance.

VOL. LXXXII.-B.

1909.] 167



168 Dreyer and Douglas. Velocity of Reaction in [Nov. 16,

HUGHES MEDAL.

The Hughes Medal falls this year to Richard Tetley Glazebrook, F.R.S. Dr. Glazebrook has for many years been closely identified with the

construction, testing, and evaluation of electrical standards. Not only has he

published important memoirs on these subjects, but, as Secretary for a very long period of the Electrical Standards Committee of the British Association, and more recently as Director of the National Physical Laboratory, he has taken a leading and responsible part in this type of scientific work and in conferences of international importance. Ib is thus specially fitting that he should be the recipient of the Hughes Medal.

The Velocity of Reaction in the "Absorption" of Specific Agglutinins by Bacteria, and in the "Adsorption" of

Agglutinins, Trypsin, and Sulphuric Acid by Animal Charcoal.

By GEORGES DREYER, M.A., M.D., Professor of Pathology in the University of Oxford, and J. SHOLTO C. DOUGLAS, M.A., B.M., Philip Walker

Student in Pathology in the University of Oxford, formerly Radcliffe Travelling Fellow.

(Communicated by Prof. F. Gotch, F.R.S. Received November 16, 1909,-Read January 20, 1910.)

(From the Department of Pathology, University of Oxford.)

Arrhenius, in his different papers dealing with equilibria in absorption processes, has used the alleged differences in velocity of reaction between the

absorption of agglutinin by bacteria and the adsorption of a dye by a fibre, to assist his conclusion that these processes are of different natures.

While a fair number of observations (Bordet, Bayliss, Hedin, etc.) exist as to the influence of time on the so-called adsorption processes, e.g., the adsorption of an acid by charcoal, or of a dye by a fibre, proving that it takes a very

* The experiments in this paper were partly carried out in the University Laboratory for Medical Bacteriology, Copenhagen, and we wish to express our gratitude to Prof. Salomonsen, the Director of that Laboratory, for the great facilities he always granted us while we worked there.

168 Dreyer and Douglas. Velocity of Reaction in [Nov. 16,

HUGHES MEDAL.

The Hughes Medal falls this year to Richard Tetley Glazebrook, F.R.S. Dr. Glazebrook has for many years been closely identified with the

construction, testing, and evaluation of electrical standards. Not only has he

published important memoirs on these subjects, but, as Secretary for a very long period of the Electrical Standards Committee of the British Association, and more recently as Director of the National Physical Laboratory, he has taken a leading and responsible part in this type of scientific work and in conferences of international importance. Ib is thus specially fitting that he should be the recipient of the Hughes Medal.

The Velocity of Reaction in the "Absorption" of Specific Agglutinins by Bacteria, and in the "Adsorption" of

Agglutinins, Trypsin, and Sulphuric Acid by Animal Charcoal.

By GEORGES DREYER, M.A., M.D., Professor of Pathology in the University of Oxford, and J. SHOLTO C. DOUGLAS, M.A., B.M., Philip Walker

Student in Pathology in the University of Oxford, formerly Radcliffe Travelling Fellow.

(Communicated by Prof. F. Gotch, F.R.S. Received November 16, 1909,-Read January 20, 1910.)

(From the Department of Pathology, University of Oxford.)

Arrhenius, in his different papers dealing with equilibria in absorption processes, has used the alleged differences in velocity of reaction between the

absorption of agglutinin by bacteria and the adsorption of a dye by a fibre, to assist his conclusion that these processes are of different natures.

While a fair number of observations (Bordet, Bayliss, Hedin, etc.) exist as to the influence of time on the so-called adsorption processes, e.g., the adsorption of an acid by charcoal, or of a dye by a fibre, proving that it takes a very

* The experiments in this paper were partly carried out in the University Laboratory for Medical Bacteriology, Copenhagen, and we wish to express our gratitude to Prof. Salomonsen, the Director of that Laboratory, for the great facilities he always granted us while we worked there.



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Address of the President, Sir Archibald Geikie, K.C.B., at the Anniversary Meeting on November 30,...

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